Engine



Aug. 25. 1925. 1,550,863'

E. M. ZIER ET AL ENGINE Filed Oct. 2l. 1922 S'Sheets-Sheet 1 y @Mwglmwwgw /Ma/WMM mw immwwmm cmwmusmm Aug. 25, 1925. E. M. ZIER ET AL ENGINE Filed Oct. 2l. 1922 3 Sheets-,Sheet 2 Mgg q, MTE Fi N M.. @U U WT! @ai t'. n? l el tt STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD IVI. ZIER AND MICHAEL ZIER, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

ENGINE.

Application led October 21, 1922. Serial No. 595,964.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD M. ZIER and MICHAEL Zinn, citizens of the United States, residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in engines of the interna-l combustion type, and more particularly to an engine employing a plurality of units each comprising a firing cylinder and piston and a compressing cylinder and piston, there being any desired number of units used in each complete engine such as to correspond with engines now commonly in use of the two, four, six or eight cylinder type.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of means for compactly compressing the gas and to compact the same the tightest when the power piston is not at the top of its cylinder or the connecting rod pushing straight down on the crank shaft but when the crank connect-ion is off center or tangent to a circle so that when the firing takes place greater power will be produced.

Another object consists in arranging the valves in a novel manner so that gas will be drawn into both the firing Iand compressing cylinders upon the downward movement of the pistons therein and will be compressed on the upward movement of the pistons, the gas in the compressing cylinder being transferred to the firing cylinder and communication between the firing and compressing cylinders being closed when the compressing piston reaches its uppermost position to allow for the firing of the compressed gases within the firing cylinder.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, our invention consists in the novel details o-f construction and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

i Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section with parts broken away and parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line: 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the cylinder casting with its associated valves.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental longitudinal section through the cylinder casting and cover, with parts shown in elevation, sho-wing the valve operating mechanism, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental horizontal section through the cylinder casting cover with the cylinder casting and valves shown in top p an.

In the drawings we have illustrated our invention as comprising four units to correspond with the four cylinder engines now commonly in use but as previously stated any desired number of units may be used to correspond with the two, four, six and eight cylinder engines now in use. The cylinder casting of the engine is shown at 1 and is formed with the units or cylinder groups, a, b, c and d each comprising a firing cylinder 2 and a compressing cylinder 3, this last mentioned cylinder being preferably of greater diameter than the firing cylinder for a purpose which will presently appear. Supported on and secured to the casing 1 is the head 4 and the casting 1 with its head 4 is supported on the crank case 5 of usual construction. The casting 1 and the head 4 will be formed with the spaces (i and 7, respectively, toreceive water or other cooling medium in the usual manner.

Extending longitudinally of the crank case 5 and rotatably mounted therein is a crank shaft 8 to which is connected the piston rods 9 and 10, the piston rod 9 being connected at the opposite end to a piston 11 which operates in the firing cylinder 2 and the piston rod 10 being connected at its opposite end to the piston 12 which operates in the compressing cylinder 3, this piston 12 being of greater diameter than the piston 1l. The pistons 11 and 12 will be provided with the usual packing rings to engage the walls of the cylinders and while we will specifically describe one unit it will be understood that each unit is similarly constiucted and a spark plug 13 is carried by the head 4 over each of the firing cyliiiders 2.

The casting 1 is formed with the intake port 14 and the exhaust port 15 leading to the firing cylinder. These ports extend inwardly from one side of the casting and then upwardly to form the seats 16 and 17 for the valves 1S and 19, respectively, these valves having the downwardly extending stems 20 and 21, respectively, which pass through the casting 1, the lower ends of the stems being adapted to be engaged by the members 21 which are engaged and operated by the cams 22 on the cani shaft 23 which extends longitudinally beneath the valves and is operated in the usual manner, the cams being so positioned thereon as to properly time the opening and closing of the valves. A spring 24 surrounds each of the valve stems for normally holding the valves in closed position.

The casting 1 is formed at the top, adjacent the compressing cylinder 3, with the downwardly extending opening 25 which communicates with the horizontal passage 26 which leads to the firing cylinder 2, the upper edge of the opening 25 forming a valve seat 27 to receive the valve 23 having the downwardly extending stem 29 which is surrounded by the spring 30 which normally holds the valve upon its seat. The lower end of the stein 29 is adapted to be engaged by the member 29 which in turn is operated by the cam 31 carried by the cam shaft 23, the cam 31 being so positioned upon the shaft as to open the valve at the proper time. The casting 1 is also provided, at the top, adjacent the compressing cylinder 3 and the opening 25, with a downwardly extending opening 32 which leads to the side of the casting and preferably communicates with the exhaust manifold of the engine. This opening 32 is formed at the top with a seat 33 to receive the valve 34 which has the downwardly extending stein 35, the lower end of which is engaged by the member 35 which in turn is operated by the cani 36 on the cani shaft 23, the cam being so positioned as to open the valve at the proper time. A spring 37 surrounds the stem 35 for normally holding the valve upon its seat. This valve 34 may be termed a relief valve to operate in a manner and for a purpose which will later appear. Then the head 4 is on the casting 1 the cylinders will be completely separated from one another and communication is only afforded between the cylinders 2 and 3 by the passage 26.

From the above detail description it is thought that the construction of our engine will be clearly understood and we will now proceed to describe the operation, at the outset again pointing out, as stated in the objects of the invention, that our idea is to provide an engine in which the gases will be conipletely compressed and will be compressed the tightest when the firing piston has started on its down stroke and when the piston connecting rod is not extending straight down but when the piston rod connection to the crank shaft is oif center. In group or unit a the firing piston is shown in its lowermost position, having drawn in gas through the intake valve 18 which is open on the down 'stroke of the piston, and the compressing piston 12 is shown going down and at about mid-way position, this piston also drawing in gas through the intake valve 18, the valve 28 controlling the passage 26 being open so that some of the gas drawn into the firing cylinder will be drawn over into the compressing cylinder. The compressing piston 12 will continue going down drawing in gas until it reaches its lowermost position shown in group or unit Z) and when the piston 12 has reached its lowermost position the firing piston 11 will be going up compressing the gas in the cylinder 2 and will have reached about mid-way position shown. Then the piston 12 has reached the position shown in group or unit Z) the intake valve 23 will remain open. As the piston 12 starts upward it will compress the gases in the cylinder 3 and force them through the valve 23 over into the cylinder 2. As the cylinder 3 is of greater diameter than the cylinder 2 the gases will be coinpactly compressed in the cylinder 2. llVhen the piston 11 has reached its uppermost position shown in group or unit c the piston 12 will be about half way up and the piston 11 will now start on its down stroke. In group or unit LZ the compressing piston 12 is shown at the top of its stroke and the tiring piston 11 about half way down in its cylinder. At this point the valve 23 will be closed and the firing will take place in the cylinder 2 forcing the piston 11 downward, it being noted that when the tiring takes place that the piston rod connected tothe crank shaft is off center and full power of the discharge is secured. As the piston 12 starts down from the position shown in group or unit Z the relief valve 34 will be opened so that there will be no suction to retard the movement of the piston. As the pistons 11 and 12 again start upward, after the firing strokes, the cylinders will be scavenged, the exhaust valve 19 being open at this point and the relief valve 34 also remaining open. The piston 11 will force the exhaust gases, in the cylinder 2, through the exhaust valve 19 which controls passage to the exhaust manifold and the piston 12 will force the exhaust gases from the cylinder 3 through the relief valve 34 into the exhaust manifold. .After the pistons have reached the ends of their up strokes, exhausting, the operation of the engine above described will be repeated. It will be understood that the intake passage 14 communicates with the intake manifold and that the crank shaft and cam shaft will be operated and timed in the usual manner. The spark plugs will also be connected to the ignition system in the usual manner.

The compressing piston l2 may, if desired, have a longer stroke than the firing piston 11 so that it will draw in more gas and compact it faster and tighter and the compressing cylinder may be made in whatever size that will give the right compactness of gas. The firing cylinder 2 fires once to every two revolutions of the crank shaft 8 and the compressing piston 12 compresses gas every other upward stroke. If desired the compressing cylinder and piston could be made the same size as the firing cylinder and piston.

I-Iaving fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an engine, a firing cylinder, a compressing oylinder, a piston operable in each of the cylinders, means whereby a supply of fuel may be drawn into each of the cylinders, upon one movement of the pistons, and means whereby the fuel from the compressing cylinder is transferred to the firing cylinder upon movement of the pistons in the opposite direction.

2. In an engine, a firing cylinder, a compressing cylinder, a piston operable in each of the cylinders, means whereby a supply of fuel may be drawn into each of the cylinders from a single source of supply, upon one movement of the pistons, and means whereby the fuel from the compressing cylinder is transferred to the firing cylinder upon movement of the pistons in the opposite direction.

3. In an engine, a firing cylinder, a compressing cylinder, a piston operable in each 0f the'cylinders, means for allowing gas to enter the firing cylinder upon the down stroke of the piston therein, means allowing gas to be drawn intol the compressing cylinder, from the firing cylinder upon the down stroke of the piston in the compressing cylinder, the gas in the firing cylinder being compressed upon the up stroke of the piston therein and the gas in the compressing cylinder being compressed and forced into the firing cylinder upon the up stroke of the piston in the compressing cylinder, and

means for operating the pistons.

4L. In an engine, a firing cylinder, a compressing cylinder, a piston operable in each of the cylinders, and means for preventing a vacuum in the compressing cylinder upon the firing stroke of the pistons.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

EDWARD M. ZIER. MICHAEL ZIER. 

